Soap dispenser



cs. E. FRANCK ETAL 2,898,016

SOAP DISPENSER Filed March 20, 1957 INVENTORS Geo yeflfianc/v l/owanil.

SOAP DISPENSER George E. Franck, Riverside, and Howard L. Philippe,

Chicago, Ill., assignors to The Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Illinois Application March 20, 1957, Serial No. 647,444

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-501) This invention relates generally .to a soap or detergent dispenser and in particular to a dispenser for powdered or granular soap or detergent.

One form of soap dispensing device well known in the art comprises a hollow container having a dispensing control valve disposed on a lower portion thereof for allowing the material within the container to flow therefrom by gravity whenever the control means is properly manipulated. Certain disadvantages, however, are found in the dispensers of this type presently known, such as a relatively complicated and costly construction of the control means and container. Further, the necessity for refilling the container periodically is disadvantageous in that it is time consuming, and often messy due to the spilling of the soap material during the filling operation. Further, where the soap material is in powdered form the structure of the known devices often allows caking and results in improper flow or no flow of the powdered material from the container.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improved soap dispensing device of extremely simple and economical construction.

Another object is to provide such a soap dispensing device wherein the containers are disposable allowing the replacement of the spent container by a fresh, fully charged one with effectively minimum manipulation.

A further object is to provide such a soap dispensing device wherein a control valve means is arranged to be snapped onto the container around the outlet thereof.

Still another object is to provide such a valve control means having a new and improved valve structure arranged to serve both as the flow control means and as means for agitating the soap material adjacent the outlet of the container.

A still further object is to provide such a valve control means wherein the movable valve member is proided with a relatiely sharp edge at the inner radius of the valve seat to preclude caking and collection of the powdered soap material on the valve seat, thereby to assure proper unrestricted flow of the material through the control means.

A still further object is to provide such a valve control means having an adjustable stroke for regulating the flow and agitating action of the valve.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a soap dispensing device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, diametric section thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawings a soap dispensing device is seen to comprise a container and a flow control device 11 which is provided with an operating handle 12 for manually effecting the alternative opened and closed connited rtes Patent dition of the control device. The invention comprehends a control device that is readily removably attachable to the container, with the container being disposable, allowing the ready discarding of a spent container and a replacement thereof with a new, fully charged one.

The term disposable is used herein as characterizing a structure of a type primarily intended'to 'be discarded subsequent to the use thereof. Thus, the term does not include a structure which because of economic or other considerations is not intended for such discardmg.

Container 10 may be of any suitable, disposable construction and is herein disclosed as comprising a tin can having one end forming a frusto-conical spout 10a with an end 10b extending radially inwardly to define a discharge outlet 100. End 10b may be provided with an annular, radially outwardly extending bead 10d for cooperation with means such as a bottle cap type closure (not shown) providing a sealing closing of the container. The container is thus adapted to hold soap or like material in powdered, liquid or similarly dispensable forms.

Flow control device 11 includes a generally tubular member 13 having a bore 13a extending longitudinally completely therethrough. At the inner end, member 1., is provided with a perimetrical flange 13b having a radially internal configuration generally complementary to head Md. The internal dimension of flange 13b is preferably just slightly smaller than the external diameter of the bead and member 13 is preferably formed of a resiliently yieldable material, such as a plastic, whereby flange 131) may be readily snapped over the bead to retain device 11 on spout end 1%. When flange 13b is so disposed, bore 13a extends in general axial alignment with container 10 and outlet 10c, to provide a flow path for the soap material from the container and through the tubular member.

Intermediate the ends of the tubular member and preferably just longitudinally outwardly of flange 13b, the tubular member is provided with a radially inwardly extending, annular valve seat which may be formed integrally with the tubular member, as shown. A radially inner, frusto-conical surface 13d on the valve seat forms the seating surface for cooperation with the movable valve 14.

Valve 14 comprises a conical element having an apex 14a disposed axially of valve seat 130 and pointing into spout 10a of the container. The lower or seating portion 14b of the valve is generally cylindrical, having an outside diameter just slightly larger than the smallest diameter of valve seat 130. Illustratively, where the minimum diameter of the valve seat is the outside diameter of seating portion 14b may be A relatively sharp edge is formed on the lower portion of valve 14 which seats on the valve seat closely adjacent the outer end of the frusto-conical surface 130! and, thereby, effectively precludes the collection of caked or solidified soap material on this seating surface which would otherwise tend to provide improper seating of the valve and/or restricted flow of the soap material through flow control device 11.

In the instant dispensing device, means are provided for automatically controlling the quantity of powdered soap material dispensed during each operation of valve 14. For this purpose, a shelf structure is associated with the valve in such a way as to permit only a predetermined quantity of powdered soap material to How between the shelf and the valve when the valve is moved to a valveopen position wherein it is spaced above seat 130. This shelf may be formed by the spout end 1% and/or upper surface 13e of the valve seat. Thus end 1012 and/or surface 13s define an annular shoulder over which the soap material flows into bore 13a. As the soap material flows thereover, however, it tends to deposit or accumulate on the shelf until the accumulation bridges the space between the shelf and valve 14 thereby stopping further flow. Thus, it may be seen, that each time the valve is opened only a specific predetermined quantity of powdered soap material is passed through the device.

Handle 12 which effects the manual operation of valve 14 is secured at its inner end 1211 to the midportion of valve 14 and extends axially through bore 13a to project outwardly from the outer or lower (when the dispenser is mounted in dispensing position) end of the tubular member 13. The outwardly projecting portion 12b of the handle is arranged for manipulation by the user and is preferably rounded to preclude injury to the users hand. To center the handle axially of tubular member 13 and to assure axial and not mere tilting movement of valve 14, a centering and guiding device 15 is secured around the handle adjacent outer portion 12b. The centering device includes a central connecting ring 15a which is preferably threadedly attached to the handle to allow longitudinal adjustment of the centering device relative to the handle and, resultingly, adjustment of the spacing of valve 14 from the valve seat 13c in the valve-open position. Extending radially outwardly from connecting ring 15a is a plurality of symmetrically disposed arms 15b arranged so that the soap material may pass freely between the arms and from the flow control device. Circumferentially of the arms is an outer ring 150 slidably engaging the wall of the tubular member within the outer portion of bore 13a. To limit the longitudinally inward movement of the handle, a stop is provided in the bore 13a outwardly of valve seat 130. In the illustrated embodiment this stop comprises a radial shoulder 13 formed integrally with tubular member 13.

To bias handle 12 longitudinally outwardly and thereby urge valve 14 into seated engagement with valve seat 130, a biasing spring 16 may be employed. As shown, spring 16 may be helical and received within the tubular member to extend between valve seat 130 and centering device 15 under suitable compression to effect a sealing closure of the valve 14 against the valve seat. The diameter of spring 16 is made sufiiciently large so that the spring underlies valve seat 130 and is therefore out of the path of flow of the Soap material through here 13a. It is preferred that spring 16 be relatively light to allow ready manipulation of the control device, the proper closure of the valve on the valve seat being effected, by virtue of the novel construction, with a slight urging force.

All parts of flow control device 11 may be molded of plastic material, with the possible exception of spring 16 which may be of any suitable spring construction well known in the art. Thus, the construction of the soap dispensing device is extremely simple and economical while providing a positive control of the flow of soap material from container 10.

In utilizing the soap dispensing device a suitable bracket (not shown) may be employed for holding the device in an inverted vertical position (with the flow control device 11 lowermost). To obtain a desired quantity of soap material from the dispenser, handle 12 is moved upwardly by manipulation of its outer portion 12b to allow the soap material to pass around valve 14, downwardly through the valve seat 130, and through bore 13a to pass from the bottom of the tubular member into the hands of the person operating the handle. As discussed above the total quantity of soap material thus dispensed is controlled by the adjustable positioning of the centering device 15 on handle 12 to cause valve 14 to be spaced adjustably above the valve seat when in the valve-open positon. Further, the movement of valve 14 into the spout 10a of the container agitates the soap material therein. This assures that the soap material does not cake or tend to collect in container 10 and improperly prevent flow of the soap material from the container. Thus, automatically, each time the soap is dispensed from the container, the material therein is agitated.

Upon release of the handle, spring 16 acts to seat the valve properly against valve seat surface 13d. The valve, because of its dimensioning relative to the valve seat acts to remove any soap material which may have tended to collect on the surface, thereby precluding the collection thereon of coagulated or caked soap material and maintaining the passage around the valve and through the bore 13a effectively clear and unimpeded. Thus, even in extremely humid atmospheres the soap dispensing device functions properly, as the exposure of the soap material in the container 10 to the atmosphere in replenishing and in use of the device may be of relatively short duration.

When a presently installed container has been completely emptied, the spent container may be removed from the control device 11 by simply canting it slightly and pulling it upwardly from the flange 1312. A replacement, fully charged container 10 is then opened and its discharge outlet is placed in operative relationship with the control device by pressing its spout end 10b into the flanged end of the tubular member. Spring 16 acts to maintain the valve in a closed position and the soap material in container 10 will be disposed surrounding and upwardly from valve 14.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A discharge control device for successive use with a plurality of soap containers, comprising: a body member having an end arranged for gripping connection with a container and having a bore extending completely through said member for conduction of soap from the container; an annular valve seat on the body member in said bore intermediate the ends thereof; a valve arranged for coaetion with said seat; an operating handle connected at its inner end to said valve and having an outer end projecting from the bore for manually alternatively opening and closing said bore; and a centering device freely longitudinally slidable in the bore outwardly of the valve and fixed to the handle to maintain the handle in axial alignment with the bore.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the centering device is adjustably positioned on the handle.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the centering device includes a centering ring having a substantial longitudinal extent for positive aligned retention of the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,062,576 Baskett et al. May 20, 1913 1,305,476 McCord June 3, 1919 2,117,180 Kronquest May 10, 1938 2,325,920 Rigby Aug. 3, 1943 2,579,167 Atkinson Dec. 18, 1951 2,717,726 Mart Sept. 13, 1955 2,751,117 Packwood June 19, 1956 2,792,160 Jones et al May 14, 1957 2,801,032 Hall July 30, 1957 

